Currently, a mobile display market has rapidly expanded, and a touch screen is situated as a main stream of market expansion. The touch screen is a type where an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse is not used but a human's hand or an object comes into direct contact with a screen to perform inputting, and most operations, that is, utilization of an Internet, a moving image, a multi-touch, and the like, can be easily performed on the screen, and thus the touch screen is situated as an optimum user interface in view of convenience.
Representative examples of the touch screen include a resistive type, a capacitive type, an ultrasonic wave type, an optical type, an infrared ray type, and the like according to an implementation type.
At an early stage of the touch screen market, since a technology entry barrier is low and a production cost is low, the resistive type had a 90% or more share. However, there are disadvantages in that durability is poor and light transmittance is low, and decisively, it is almost impossible to implement a multi-touch, and thus, currently, the resistive type is mainly applied to low-priced products.
Currently, the capacitive type is becoming a main implementation type of the touch screen market as an implementation type of overcoming the disadvantages of the resistive type. The capacitive type is a type where a fine current generated in a human's body is detected to drive a touch screen, since a constant current is used, touch sensitivity is excellent, and particularly, since a multi-touch function is feasible, the capacitive type is becoming a strong driving type in a touch screen panel market. Further, since glass is used as a cover, durability is good, light transmittance is 90% or more, and sophisticated sensitivity is provided.
However, the capacitive type is disadvantageous in that an input type is limited and manufacturing cost is high. Many efforts have been made by touch screen panel manufacturers in order to ensure cost competitiveness, and for example, transmittance may be improved and a cost reduction effect may be obtained by using a method of reducing the number of ITO film sensor layers (currently, two layers are applied) occupying a large ratio of the cost, or by developing an integrated touch panel by directly attaching a touch sensor to reinforced glass that is positioned on the uppermost layer in a GLASS type. The aforementioned next-generation integrated touch panel can be manufactured by a method of coating cover glass with a bezel film for shielding and forming a touch sensor layer thereon.